People who bought this also bought...

BBC Radio Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part One (Dramatized)

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Julian Glover,
Jamie Glover,
Full Cast

Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

Original Recording

Overall

60

Performance

30

Story

31

BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

Heavily abridged...

By
M. W. Roberts
on
02-16-10

Henry V

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Samuel West,
Timothy West,
full cast

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

66

Performance

28

Story

28

Henry V, which dates from 1599, is the last in Shakespeare's series of plays based on English history. It is also, of course, among the Bard's best-known and most-performed works. It's given rich new life here by a full-cast presentation that combines classic literature with classical music.

take a soldier

By
eliz1588 amazon customer
on
11-08-06

Twelfth Night

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Niamh Cusack,
Jonathan Firth,
Amanda Root,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins

Original Recording

Overall

52

Performance

48

Story

47

Shakespeare's most sophisticated comedy is a riotous tale of hopelessly unrequited passions and mistaken identity. Duke Orsino is in love with the noblewoman Olivia. She, however, has fallen for his servant Cesario, who is actually Viola, a woman disguised as a man, who loves Orsino: Confusion is rife. Meanwhile, Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio is cruelly tricked by her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the maidservant Maria into believing his mistress loves him.

Absolutely loved

By
Baker Family
on
06-28-15

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Tragedies

Hamlet; Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
full cast,
Ian McKellen,
Paul Scofield,
and others

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Original Recording

Overall

41

Performance

38

Story

36

Three powerful radio productions from the BBC archives starring Ian McKellen, Ronald Pickup and Paul Scofield and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist.

Abridged

By
Jennifer Sheridan
on
07-08-17

1066: The Year That Changed Everything

By:
The Great Courses

Narrated by:
Professor Jennifer Paxton Ph.D. Harvard University

Length: 3 hrs

Original Recording

Overall

940

Performance

842

Story

836

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.

History brought to life

By
Joshua
on
07-10-13

Henry V

Shakespeare Appreciated: (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)

By:
William Shakespeare,
Mike Reeves,
Phil Viner

Narrated by:
Joan Walker,
Peter Lindford,
Terrence Hardiman

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Unabridged

Overall

62

Performance

48

Story

49

Experience Henry V as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

the Shakespeare Appreciated series is outstanding

By
Drizzella MO
on
06-28-12

BBC Radio Shakespeare

Henry IV, Part One (Dramatized)

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Julian Glover,
Jamie Glover,
Full Cast

Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins

Original Recording

Overall

60

Performance

30

Story

31

BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

Heavily abridged...

By
M. W. Roberts
on
02-16-10

Henry V

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Samuel West,
Timothy West,
full cast

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

66

Performance

28

Story

28

Henry V, which dates from 1599, is the last in Shakespeare's series of plays based on English history. It is also, of course, among the Bard's best-known and most-performed works. It's given rich new life here by a full-cast presentation that combines classic literature with classical music.

take a soldier

By
eliz1588 amazon customer
on
11-08-06

Twelfth Night

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Niamh Cusack,
Jonathan Firth,
Amanda Root,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins

Original Recording

Overall

52

Performance

48

Story

47

Shakespeare's most sophisticated comedy is a riotous tale of hopelessly unrequited passions and mistaken identity. Duke Orsino is in love with the noblewoman Olivia. She, however, has fallen for his servant Cesario, who is actually Viola, a woman disguised as a man, who loves Orsino: Confusion is rife. Meanwhile, Olivia's arrogant steward Malvolio is cruelly tricked by her uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and the maidservant Maria into believing his mistress loves him.

Absolutely loved

By
Baker Family
on
06-28-15

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Tragedies

Hamlet; Macbeth; Romeo and Juliet

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
full cast,
Ian McKellen,
Paul Scofield,
and others

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Original Recording

Overall

41

Performance

38

Story

36

Three powerful radio productions from the BBC archives starring Ian McKellen, Ronald Pickup and Paul Scofield and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist.

Abridged

By
Jennifer Sheridan
on
07-08-17

1066: The Year That Changed Everything

By:
The Great Courses

Narrated by:
Professor Jennifer Paxton Ph.D. Harvard University

Length: 3 hrs

Original Recording

Overall

940

Performance

842

Story

836

With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.

History brought to life

By
Joshua
on
07-10-13

Henry V

Shakespeare Appreciated: (Unabridged, Dramatised, Commentary Options)

By:
William Shakespeare,
Mike Reeves,
Phil Viner

Narrated by:
Joan Walker,
Peter Lindford,
Terrence Hardiman

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Unabridged

Overall

62

Performance

48

Story

49

Experience Henry V as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

the Shakespeare Appreciated series is outstanding

By
Drizzella MO
on
06-28-12

Henry VI, Part 2

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
David Tennant,
Kelly Hunter,
Norman Rodway,
and others

Length: 3 hrs and 1 min

Original Recording

Overall

24

Performance

24

Story

24

Young King Henry VI has married the beautiful Margaret of Anjou but the new queen is ruthless and ambitious. Supported by the powerful Duke of Suffolk, Margaret plots the overthrow of her enemies, chief among them the Duke of Gloucester. But the Duke of York also aspires to the crown, and the common people, led by Jack Cade, are in rebellion. To the despair of the mild young king, England descends into civil war.

This review is actually for Part Three

By
Tad Davis
on
08-09-14

Henry V

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Jamie Glover,
Brian Cox,
Elizabeth Spriggs

Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins

Original Recording

Overall

60

Performance

59

Story

59

Henry V is a study of kingship, patriotism, and heroic determination tempered by tender comedy as Henry courts Katherine, princess of France. Henry, the noble and courageous young king of England, decides to invade France, believing he has a rightful claim to the throne. At Agincourt he leads his army into battle against the powerful French forces and, against all the odds, wins a famous victory.

Well done, great performance, true to text

By
M. Henderson
on
10-23-17

Richard II

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Rupert Graves,
Julian Glover,
John Wood

Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins

Original Recording

Overall

48

Performance

39

Story

39

The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard's right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he meets his death heroically.

I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.

By
Darwin8u
on
04-10-17

Henry VI, Part 1

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
David Tennant,
Kelly Hunter,
Clive Merrison,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins

Original Recording

Overall

27

Performance

26

Story

26

The all-conquering King Henry V is dead and the throne is occupied by his infant son, Henry VI. The good Duke Humphrey of Gloucester has been appointed protector, but a struggle for power soon develops between the young king's Lancastrian relatives and the powerful house of York under Richard Plantagenet. Meanwhile the French, led by Joan of Arc, the maid of Orleans, threaten to win back the territories lost to Henry V.

Action-packed, crowded with characters

By
Tad Davis
on
07-14-14

BBC Radio Shakespeare

Richard II (Dramatized)

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Samuel West,
Joss Ackland,
Full Cast

Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins

Original Recording

Overall

43

Performance

26

Story

24

BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard.

Hard to tell which character is speaking

By
Laurie
on
10-02-10

War and Peace

By:
Leo Tolstoy

Narrated by:
Frederick Davidson

Length: 61 hrs and 8 mins

Unabridged

Overall

2,241

Performance

1,604

Story

1,574

Often called the greatest novel ever written,
War and Peace is at once an epic of the Napoleonic wars, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit. Tolstoy's genius is clearly seen in the multitude of characters in this massive chronicle, all of them fully realized and equally memorable.

Glad I finally decided to read it

By
Plumeria
on
09-25-05

Persuasion

By:
Jane Austen

Narrated by:
Mary Sarah

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

1,076

Performance

928

Story

937

A moving love story displaying all of Austen's signature wit and ironic narrative style. Persuasion is Jane Austen's last completed novel. She began it soon after she had finished Emma, completing it in August 1816.

Really BAD narration

By
Kris
on
06-25-16

The Merry Wives of Windsor

The dissolute Falstaff plans to seduce Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, two "Merry Wives of Windsor," there by gaining access to their husbands' wealth. The two women have the old rogue's measure, however, and Falstaff's plots lead only to his own humiliation. But the merry wives themselves fall prey to plotting as their plans to prevent Mistress Page's daughter Anne from marrying the young man she loves are frustrated in their turn.

We have some salt of our youth in us.

By
Darwin8u
on
07-06-17

Henry VI, Part 3

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
David Tennant,
Kelly Hunter,
Clive Merrison,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins

Original Recording

Overall

23

Performance

22

Story

22

The Yorkists have been temporarily victorious and the Duke of York has assumed the throne, but the Lancastrians, led by Queen Margaret, counter-attack. As the fortunes of war shift, both the innocent and the guilty are swept up in the maelstrom. And increasingly dominant amid the chaos is the sinister figure of the crook-backed Richard, Duke of Gloucester.

One of my favorites

By
Tad Davis
on
07-20-14

Love's Labor's Lost: The Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Alex Jennings,
Emma Fielding,
Samantha Bond,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins

Original Recording

Overall

19

Performance

18

Story

18

The young king of Navarre and three of his courtiers have vowed to lock themselves away for three years of study and fasting, and to forswear the company of women for this period. No sooner is their vow made than it is tested, however, as the princess of France and three of her ladies arrive in Navarre on a diplomatic mission. The young men fall instantly and hopelessly in love, and the tension between their vow and their passion forms the subject of this charming and sparkling early comedy.

Honorificabilitudinitatibus!

By
Darwin8u
on
03-29-17

The Comedy of Errors

Arkangel Shakespeare

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Sorcha Cusack,
David Tennant,
Jason O'Mara,
and others

Length: 1 hr and 27 mins

Original Recording

Overall

55

Performance

51

Story

50

Chaos and confusion mount to a crescendo in a wild and fast-paced comedy of mistaken identity, one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. Young Antipholus of Syracuse is searching the world for his identical twin brother, separated from him at birth. With him is his servant Dromio, who lost his twin brother at the same time. The pair arrive in Ephesus where, unbeknownst to them, their twins are living.

Ill deeds is doubled with an evil word

By
Darwin8u
on
03-16-17

Classic BBC Radio Shakespeare: Romances

The Winter's Tale, Pericles, The Tempest

By:
William Shakespeare

Narrated by:
Hannah Gordon,
Paul Scofield,
Tim Pigott-Smith

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Original Recording

Overall

11

Performance

10

Story

10

These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist.
The Winter's Tale: one man's consuming jealousy threatens to destroy both himself and those around him, but his actions arouse a passionate sense of honour, love, justice and self-sacrifice in members of his Court and family. First broadcast in 1982, starring Ronald Pickup as Leontes, with Hannah Gordon as Hermione and John Gielgud as Time.

Publisher's Summary

Father and son Julian and Jamie Glover star as King Henry and his son, Hal, in this powerful production, which also stars Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

In the acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former director of the Royal National Theatre.

Performance

Story

Why Can't they Call this Henry IV, Part II?

This is hard to find in the Audible catalog because of its name. I felt the Part II was better done than the part I, especially when compared against the Arkangel version (the clear winner to me in Part I, probably a tie for thsi version). In the play, the characters are less likeable, and politics is more to the fore. Well done, and it is important to have both pieces of the story.

Powerful language

I always thought HIVII was more or less a placeholder between the more exciting Part I and the more famous Henry V. Listening to this production, however, changed my mind. The language here is masterful; there are some gorgeous speeches by the old King. If you have never experienced this trilogy, try this BBC audio. But don't start here - definitely go for Part I first and finish up with Henry V. At Audible, Shakespeare plays are a bargain!